Examining the thriving beef industry in Chaoshan despite minimal local livestock

The Chaoshan region in Guangdong Province, China, is nationally renowned for its beef hotpot, even though very few cattle are raised in the area. The people of Chaoshan possess a specific naming system for dozens of different beef cuts, reflecting the extraordinary butchery skills of chefs and their pursuit of culinary excellence.

According to official data, only 3,200 cattle were slaughtered in 2025 in Chaozhou, a major city within the Chaoshan region. Meanwhile, the city hosts more than 2,000 beef hotpot restaurants and beef meatball processing companies, which consume approximately 90,000 cattle per year. More than 90 per cent of live cattle are purchased from Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Ningxia, and other regions across China.

Thanks to supply chain integration and meticulous skill, Chaozhou—a city not known as a cattle-producing area—has developed a unique beef industry.